Machine for stripping, dyeing, and washing silk.



' G. A. CASSON.

MACHINE FOR sTmPmNG, DYEING, AND WASHING SNN.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.27,19|5. 1,168,161, Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

6 SHEETSSHEE l.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH po., WASHINGTON. D. C.

WIT/VESSES G. A. CASSON.

MACHINE FOR STRIPPING, DYEING, AND WASHING SILK.

APPLICATION FILED .IAN.27, 1915.

Patented Jan. 1I, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

/lVI/E/VTOR George A. Casson A TTOHA/EIS THE COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co., wAsmNToN. D. c.

G. A. CASSON.

MACHINE FOR STRIPPING, DYEING, AND WASHING SILK. APPLICATION FILED .IAN.`27| |915.

1,168,1 61. Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

G. A. CASSON.

MACH|NE FOR STRIPPING, DYEING, AND WASHING slLK.

APPLICA-FWN FILED IAN- 27, 1915. 1,168,161. Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4- llllllllllllllllljnl IIWU 1 mimllm.- l

WIT/VESSES /Nl/E/VTOH Vw o l George/@Casson HWIIIIIII"I BY M. .un I Y 'A TTOR/VEYS THE CDLUMBIA PLANOURAPH C0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

G. A. CASSON.

MACHINE FOR STRIPPING, DYEING, AND WASHING SILK.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.27, I9l5.

1,168,161. v Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

6 SHEETSf-SHEEI 5.

A TTOR/VEIS THE coLumuA vL/INoGn/wn Cu., WASHINGTON, n. c.

MACHINE FOR STRIPPING, DYEING, AND WASHING SILK.

APPLICATION FILED mm2?, I-9I5.

1 9 1 68, 1 6 1 Pateted Jan. 11, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

W/TNESSES IIVI/E/VTOI? George ACosson ATTORNEYS THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

FKCE.

GEORGE A. CASSON, F PATERSON, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO ROBERT I H. CASSON, 0E PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR STB-IPPNG, DYEING, AND WASHING SILK.

Application led January 27', 1915.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE A. CAssoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Stripping, Dyeing, and lVashing Silk, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

This invention relates to machinery for treating fabrics and has particular reference to means for treating skeins of thread, yarn or the like.

More particularly stated, among the objects of the invention is to provide a means for rapidly and economically operating upon skeins of raw silk.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine including one or more reels cooperating with a vat of liquor, said reel or reels being adapted for supporting a series of skeins of raw silk and means for rotating the reels and agitating a plurality of them in a peculiar manner with respect to said liquor.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus including a vat and skein supporting and manipulating devices removably connected to the top of the vat, and driving mechanism for the operating devices carried partly by the vat and partly by the removable devices.

The foregoing and many other objects of the invention will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a front end elevation of my improved machine, parts being broken away; Fig. 1a is a diagrammatic plan view of the reversible driving mechanism; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, indicating a vat equipped with my improved apparatus and showing the relative positions of the several reels; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus corresponding to Fig. 2; Fig. i is a vertical transverse sectional detail of the reel mechanisni substantially on the line 11-1 of Fig. E2; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic end elevation of the revolving and rotating mechanism for Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

Serial No. 4,636.

the reels; Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of one of the reels; and Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the guiding devices for the vat and cover.

The several parts of this device may be made of any suitable materials, and the relative sizes and proportions, as well as the general design of the mechanism, may be var ied to a considerable extent without departing from the spirit of the invention hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

As shown herein this improvement contemplates the use of any number, size or length of stationary vats 10 adapted to contain any suitable iiuid or liquor for treating threads, yarns or the like. In this connection it is to be observed that while I have designed this apparatus especially for the stripping, dyeing or washing of raw silks in skeins, its adaptability is by no means to be so limited in practice, since the machine is obviously possessed of a much wider range of usefulness. Associated with the vat 10 is a drip pan 11 arranged preferably at the base of the vat and of a width suflicient to receive any deposits of oil or the like from the machinery associated with the upper portion of the vat.

Arranged preferably adjacent each cornerlof the vat is a guide socket 12 having a flaring upper end, said socket being secured to the stationary vat structure in definite position. Brackets 13 of any suitable number or size are secured to the upper portion of the vat for supporting the removable cover and operating devices.

The cover or top frame 14 is adapted to rest'upon said brackets 13 and carries downwardly projecting guide bars 15 which cooperate with said flaring sockets 12 and through them cause the top frame la to be guided into precise operating position upon or into the vat. The frame furthermore is provided with eyebolts or the like 16, preferably one in each corner, through which the top frame and parts connected therewith may be hoisted or lowered with respect to the vat by any suitable overhead machinery (not shown) and transported, if desired, from one vat to another in any direction or to any desired distance, depending upon the nature of the processes being carried out` byv the improved machinery.

As a part pf the operating devices carried by the top 14, l provide any suitable numberv of reel mechanisms arranged preferably in pairs and extending for `operation into the liquor contained in the vat 10. VEach reel, shown best in ligs. .4 and 6, is adapted to carry a plurality of spacedskeins of silk S, such material Vbeing adapted to be plunged and moved into or within the liquor in the vat by the intended operation of the machine. By this fact, it will be understood that the usual practice of treating raw silk in the vapor from the liquor, with 2 the usual objection of the snarling of the silk as well as the loss of time incident thereto, will be avoided. Furthermore, by

arranging the reels in pairs, the individuals' of the pairs being given a certain reciprocatory movement, the liquor will be kept in proper motion or agitation whereby a more satisfactory result will beobtained. Each reel'comprises a' head-roller 17', a foot roller 18 and two side 'bars 19l connecting said'v frollers, rllhev head roller is preferably polygonal in cross "section whereby the skeins supported thereon are positively driven as a result of the rotation imparted to said head Aroller by the driving -mechanisnr' Each side bar comprises a sleeve 20.. connectedto a bearing 21' whereby the side baris suspended from a gudgeon 22 at each end ofthe head roller. Each side bar also includes a tube or rod 23 telescopically connected to the sleeve and carrying a bearing 24 in which the gudgeon- 25 of the foot roller is journaled.v The connection between the sleeve 20 and tube 23 comprises a rod 26' secured atits upper end to the bearing '21and passing downwardly through a couof the coupling and the parts supported 'i thereby, In other words, thercoruplings, the tubes 23 connected thereto, and the foot roller 18 ournaled at the lower ends of the tubes, may all be elevated with respect toV the sleeves-20 by an upward lift thereonA "5 against the force of the springs 28, but the downward movement of such parts is limited by the rods 26 Yand nuts 29. The foot roller 18 jmay vbe of Aany desired shape in cross section, but is sliown'as cylindrical, it-

being merely an idler. The sleeves and couplings above referred to are preferably polygoiial in cross section to prevent distor-` tion 'of such parts.

-Any suitable means may be providedto,

The rod 26 at its lower end has a nutA 29 Awhich limits the. downward movement' cause positive rotation of the head roller and from it the rotation of thefoot..roller and skeins of silk supported thereon, and at the same time I provide means'forgiving a revolution of the head roller around a certain transverse axis with a 'corresponding' movement of the parts suspended from said head roller. The means prefer to employ for imparting to the skein supports or rollers the combined rotation and revolution -is shown best in detail in Fig. 4, and includes a pair of casings 30-and 31 arranged in vertical parallel planes opposite the ends of the reels, such pair of Acasingsjbeing designed to'- accommodate a pair off the reels. Eachof these casings is substantially closed and? houses within it certain gear mechanisms re lated to the fixed axis just referred to. In"

the casing 30 said axis is determined .by a stud orshort shaft 32 secured rigidly in or to the outer side wall 33 of the casing and.

carrying a fixed stationary gear 34 adjacent a collar 35. Journaled upon the st ud 32 between thegear34 andtheside wall 33 is an arm 36 in the outer end ofwhich arm is( journaled a chuck 37, the same being'held in place by means of a. cap 38. On the other side of the arm from the cap 38 is a gear 39; i

rigidly secured to the chuck, said gearV meshing with and being driven by the fixedgear 34 when the arm 36 is rotated around the* stud 32. The end vof the chuck opposite they cap 38 projects laterally through ',a circular opening 40 in the inner face of the casing 30, and has a loose bearing fit ina hole 4l' formed in a disk guard 42 `iournaled loosely upon the end of the shaft 32 and held there von by a nut 43. The polygonal end44 of the head roller 17 is fitted detachably ingthe u open end of thechuck. .A gearv 45' is rig-.g idly secured tothe end ofthe central bear-v ing portion of the arm 36 and is shown asA driven by a gear` 46 from a shaft 47 extending inwardly through the sidewall 33 of the. casing. As above premised, each pair of casings are designed to accommodate and operate a pair of reels, and the specific description of the driving inechanisni'just given vwill be understood as applying to each reel of the pair, but the arms 36 pertainingto each pair of reels extend in opposite directions from their respective fixed studs 32 whereby, while the skein supports are re-A The opposite end of each head roller A17 is i supported and journaled in a 'chuck 37? and mounted slidably longitudinally of the raxis i,

of the roller in the outer end of an arm 36" rotatable around the fixedstud-32 secured` in the side wall 33 of the casing`3l. The

chuck 37 is held normally in supportingp-U sition by means of a spring 48 againsttlie' tension 'of which the chuck maybe forced- A for putting the reel in or out of position. 'Ihe chuck 37 has a lateral eXtension'49 for manipulating it, and said extension has a finger 50 disposed parallel to the axis of the chuck and projectable into the stud 32 against the force of a light spring 51. The finger projects through the nut 43 which serves to hold the disk 42 upon the stud. The relation of the arm to this disk and the relation of the disk to the stud are the same in connection with both casings. The chuck 37 is secured to the arm 36 by means of a cap 38, but there is no relative movement between these two parts as there is between the chuck 37 and its arm at the opposite end of the roller. The arm 36 is driven preferably by the same type of mechanism as above described in connection with the arm 36, such mechanism including gears 45 and 46 and driving shaft 47.` These casings being substantially closed, any oil supplied to the bearings thereof vis not allowed to spread to the interior of the vat but is caught at the bottom ofthe casing and may be `drained therefrom through tubes 52 to the pan 11 and thereby no damage to the delicate fabric may result.

The aforesaid driving shafts 47 for each pair of casings and pair ofreels pertaining thereto are driven at the same speed and in the same direction around the same aXis, each being journaled in a sleeve 53 secured to a bracket 54 mounted upon the frame 14. Each of these shafts 47 is preferably provided on its outer end with a worm wheel 55. A pair of shafts 56 extend along the sides of the machine preferably throughout the full length thereof and on yopposite sides. These parallel shafts 56 carry worms 57 meshing with the worm wheels 55. The worms 57 adjacent each other along the same shaft 56 are preferably arranged reversely whereby the tendency of such shaft to end thrust will bepractically neutralized. By the rotation of the shafts 56 at the same speed by any suitable mechanism and from which the gears 46 of each pair of casings are rotated in unison, all of the arms 36 and 36 pertaining thereto will be rotated in the same direction around their respective studs 32 and 32', causing both head rollers 17 to revolve around the axes of the studs in the same direction, and because of such revolution the fixed gears 34 will Cause the rotation of the head roller 17 and through them the rotation and continual change of position of the skeins of silk supported thereon. l/Vhile I show in Fig. 2 the reels of each pair arranged differently with respect to their airesV of revolution, it is obvious that they may bermounted so as to have the same relative relation to the driving mechanism as indicated in Fig. 5. Arranged as shown in Fig. 2, the reels of each pair tend to counterbalance eachother, but if the reels of one pair are arranged in staggered relation to those of the next pair, the same counterbalancing effect would be produced.

As a preferred means for rotating the shafts 56 I provide means shown best in Fig. 1, the same comprising a shaft 58 journaled in fixed brackets 59 at the head of the vat. The shaft 60 is journaled in bearings 6l upon the front end of the top frame 14 parallel to the shaft 58. The shafts 58 and 60 carry respectively gears 62 and 63, the latter being driven from the former through an idler gear 64 carried on the end of a yoke 65 adapted to swing around the shaft 60 and controlled by cushioning springs 66 mounted above and below the yoke on a guide rod 67. By virtue of this idler 64 proper meshing engagement between the driving and driven gears is always assured when the top .mechanism is placed upon the vat. The desired adjustment of the yoke 65 maybe effected through a hanger 68 including a cross head through which a set screw 69 operates. rIhe shaft 60 carries a pair of worms 70 which drive worm gears 71 connected to the front ends of short shafts 72, and from these short shafts the aforesaid long shafts 56 are driven through spur gears 73.

Any suitable mechanism may be provided for the shaft 58, but I prefer to provide a means for reversing the direction of rotation of the reel mechanism, and for this purpose I show a shaft 75 connected by spur gears 76 to the shaft 58. rf`he shaft 75 has on its front end a worm 77 constituting the first element of speed reducing gearing 78 leading to a gear 79. At 80 I show a power shaft adapted to be driven in a definite direction Ythrough a belt 81 or the like acting on a cone pulley 82, and splined to said shaft 80 is a clutch sleeve 83 with which coperates a reversing yoke 84. rIhe opposite end of the yoke is pivoted loosely upon the shaft 85 of the wheel 79. The clutch sleeve 83 coperates yin alternation with clutch elements 86 otherwise loosely connected to the power shaft. IIhese clutch elements have bevel pinions 87 connected with them and meshing constantly with a bevel gear 88 mounted upon an angularly arranged shaft 89 having at its other end a bevel gear 90 driving the shaft 75 through a bevel pinion 91. Associated with the gear 79 and its shaft is a disk 92 carrying a finger 93 adapted to engage a weighted arm 94 journaled upon the shaft 85 and extend ing upwardly therefrom adjacent the yoke 84. The arm 94 carries a pin 95 operating through an arc-shaped slot 96 in the yoke arm, and after the driving shaft has made a certain predetermined number of rotations, depending upon the design of the reduction gearing, the pin 93 will engage and lift the arm 94 causing it to pass over the dead center, and by its pin striking against the end of the slot 96, will cause the yoke 84 tov cause the sleeve 83 to be disconnected from one of the clutch elements 86 and caused to engage in the other clutch element, thereby causing the direction of rotation of the inachine to be changed through the gear 88 and parts following it. The gear 79 and disk 92 will likewise be reversed, and after they will have made slightly more than one rota tion, bringing the pin 93 again past thedead center, they will cause the weightedl arm 91- to again reverse the direction of'ro'tation of the machine. It will thus be seenthat the skeins of silk will not only be held in proper position and kformv in the vat, but will be kept in regular steady motion with a conf stant change of position not only of the skeins upon the reels, but with a gradual relative movement between the several strands of each skein, thereby effecting va thorough and uniform treatment of all of the fibers.

AAny suitablemeans may be provided to supply steam to the vat for heating the liquor therein, such means being typified by the perforated pipe 97 shown at the rear end and bottom of the vat. Likewise l may provide a system of pipes 98 above the vat forsupplying water orother fluids to the vat. The pipes 9S are shown asconnected by a transverse supply pipe 99 at the rear end of the top frame and by a suitable number of other pipes 100 and 101 extending parallel thereto. |The pipes 100 ,extend through the upper portions of the casings 30 and 31 `and the pipes 101 extend between the casings.. All of these latter mentioned pipes have perforations through which the water or other fluid is jetted downwardly and laterally toward the skeins of silk upon the reels. This pipe system for supplying washing fluid to the vat is, therefore, a partV of the general structure and is removable from the vat with the reel operating devices.

By reference to Fig. lis will be under-` stood that the operator may easily remove a reel from the chucks 37 and 37 by throwing the chuck 37 out of engagementkwith the round end of the head drinn, and. then any suitable number of skeins of silk may readily be placed upon the reel, first over the Y roller 17, and thon either y before or after returning the reel to its place in the frame thefoot roller '18 may bel lifted against the force ofthe springs 28 within the sleeves 2O to allow the lower ends of the skeins to be slipped upon the roller 18. |he material may then be treated as required or desired without any possibility of snarling or otherwise damaging the same. the operation being performed easily and expeditiously.

l claim:

l. The combination with a vat adapted to contain a cleansing fluid, of a cover for the vat, a series of reels carried by the cover to operatesaid reels. rlhe combination o f a vat,` a cover for the vat, a series of skein supports carried by A,

the cover and extending intothe vat, and

means acting upon the skein supports to ,part to them a combined motionof rotation and revolution, substantially as set forth.V

The combination of avat adapted to contain a cleansing fluid, a cover for thevat, a series of reels kcarried by the cover and projecting thence downwardly in parallel relation to oneanothergintofthe liquid, and means serving to cause the' reels to revolve and ybe given a relative` vertical reciprocation. -V l,

ll. 4@The combination of a-series of reels arranged in parallel vertical pairs, each reel comprising a head roller andv a foot roller and Aflexible side bars connecting said rollers whereby they may move relativelyV toward and from each other, driving mechanism for each pair of r eels serving to impart-.to the rollers thereof a compound movement of revolution and rotation, and means Yto reverse the direction of movement of said reels. Y v y A 5. The combination of a'vat adapted to contain a liquor, driving mechanism carried by the vat, a cover for the vat, means carried-by the cover kfor supporting skeins of material and projecting the saine into the liquor in the vat, operating devices carried by the cover for causing a movement of said supporting devices and skeins, and operatingconnections between'said two sets vof ioo driving mechanisms andinade operative by the lowering of the cover into position upon the vat. y y y A j 46. vllhe combination of a vat having driving devices journaled thereon, a series of up- Vwardly Vflared guide sockets secured to the vat, acover for the vat, material supporting devices carried by the coverand `projecting into the vat, driving devices for said supporting devices carried by the cover, and a for the vat, a pair of reels carried by the cover and projecting into the vat, each reel comprising a pair of parallel rollers and telescopio side bars connecting the same, and means rcarried by the cover for acting upon the reelsv simultaneously to cause them to both .revolve and reciprocate in vertical planes.

8.,-The combination with a vat adapted-to contain a liquor, of cover for lthe vat, a series of reels carried by thercover and projectinginto the liquor, and means to impart descend, in vertical parallel planes.

9. The combination of a vat, supporting" means above the vat, a plurality of reels supported by said supporting means and projecting into the vat, means to actuate all of said reels simultaneously and at the same rate of speed in parallel vertical planes, and a pipe system arranged in connection with said supporting means above the reels, said pipe system comprising means for spraying a cleansing liquid downwardly and laterally over all of said reels while they are being actuated.

10. The combination of a vat, driving devices carried thereby, a cover for the vat, a series of skein supporting devices carried by the cover and projecting` into the vat, actu` ating means for the skein supporting devices, means to lift the cover and associated parts from the vat, and means to cause the two sets of driving devices to be brought into accurate mesh when the cover is restored to position upon the vat.

11. The combination of a vat, a cover for the vat, holding devices carried by the cover and proj ectable into the vat, means to actuate said holding devices to cause them to change positions, and spraying means associated with the cover and holding devices, said spraying means including a supply pipe, a pair of longitudinal pipes leadingV from the supply pipe along the sides of the cover, and a series of transverse perforated pipes extending between the side. pipes and adapted to spray over said holding devices.

12. rifhe combination of a vat, a frame supported on the top of the vat, skein holding devices supported by the frame and eX- tending into the vat, means to actuate the skein holding devices tocause them to move within the vat, said skein holding devices including pairs of spaced casings at opposite sides of the frame, and means to deliver fluid into the vat, said fluid delivering means including a supply pipe, a pair of parallel branch pipes leading along opposite sides of the frame adjacent the outer faces of said pairs of casings, and a plurality of transverse perforated pipes connecting the side pipes and having perforations through which the liquid is sprayed over said skein holding devices, a part of said transverse pipes extending through the pairs of casings and the other part thereof extending along the spaces between adjacent pairs of casings.

13. The combination of a vat, a plurality of skein supporting reels above the vat and projecting into the same, each reel including a head roller and a foot roller and telescopic side bars connecting the rollers, and means to rotate the head roller of each reel, the

fo'ot roller and side bars of each reel being suspended constantly in a vertical plane from the head roller thereof.

1e. rlhe combination' ofy a main support, driving devices thereon, a frame removably connected to said main support, driving devices supported by the frame and meshing with the aforesaid driving devices whenthe frame is in position on the main support, a plurality of skein supportingy reels carried by said frame, each reel comprising head and foot rollers, and mechanism operated from said driving devices for actuating all of said reels simultaneously, imparting to the rollers thereof a. ,combined motion of revolution and rotation. i

15. rEhe combination of a main support, power driving devices associated with the support, a frame detachably connected to the top of the support, drivingv devices'carried by the frame and movable directly int-o and out of engagement with said power driving devices when the frame is moved into and out of engagement respectively with the main support, pairs of casings carried by the frame, a plurality of skein supports extending between and carried by said casings, actuating means for the skein sup-V ports within the casings, and means between said driving devices and the actuating devices serving to actuate both ends of the several skein supports positively at the same rate of speed.

16. rEhe combination of `asupporting frame, driving means carried by the frame, a pair of upright casings arranger in parallel planes on opposite sides of the frame, a plurality of reel rollers extending between and supported by said casings, actuating means for the rollers within the casings causing said rollers to both revolve and rotate simultaneously parallel to one another, and connections between said driving devices and said actuating means causing both ends of the rollers to be positively actuated.

17. rlhe combination of a pair of upright casings arranged in parallel planes, the inner faces of the casings being provided with coaxial openings, supporting studs fixed in the outer walls of the casings in the axes of said openings, reel rollers extending etween the casings, means to support the the rollers from said studs, and means to cause said supporting means to cause the rollers to revolve around said studs adjacent the peripheries of said openings and also cause the rotation of the rollers around their own axes.

18. The combination of a pair of upright casings arranged in spaced parallel planes, the' inner faces of the casings having coaxial openings, supporting studs arranged within the casings and having their axes coincident with the axes of said openings, arms of the rollers around the'axes of the studsV and also the rotation of the rollers around their own axes simultaneously with such revolution.

19. The combination of a pair of casings arranged in spaced parallel planes, the inner faces of the casings having a pair of coaxial openings, a roller extending between the casngs, supporting means within the casings for the roller and holding the roller adjacent the peripherie's' of the openings aforesaid, means to actuate the supporting means causthe roller to revolve around the axes of the openings, and rotary guard members the two rollers and .providing bearings for j the rollers, and means to cause a combined revolution and rotation of the head roller, the other roller and said yside bars being suspended normally in a Vertical plane beneath the head roller ywhile the Vhead roller is in motion. i

In testimony whereof I have signed my 'name to thisy specification in the presence of two subscribingv witnesses. l

GEORGE A. CASSON. Witnesses: y

GEO. L- BEELER, RoBT. H. CAssoN,

Gcpies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing" the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,- D. C. 

